---
title: The Next Generation of Fuel Rod Cladding
description: AXIOM™ cladding provides utilities with enhanced features to improve fuel performance.
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---

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# The Next Generation of Fuel Rod Cladding

 January 20, 2021 by [Westinghouse Electric Company](https://info.westinghousenuclear.com/blog/author/westinghouse)

**Categories:** [Nuclear Fuel](https://info.westinghousenuclear.com/blog/tag/nuclear-fuel)

*AXIOM™ cladding provides utilities with enhanced features to improve fuel performance.*

To maintain a competitive advantage in the energy generation marketplace, nuclear plants rely on their suppliers to never settle for “good enough.” This endless pursuit of progress is why we continually innovate our products and services to maximize the performance of your plant.

By addressing the needs of the industry both today and in the future, we’re paving the path to enable higher burnup and enrichment levels with advances like our AXIOM®-clad fuel rods. Building on the success of our Optimized ZIRLO™ cladding, AXIOM cladding’s higher burnup capability allows utilities to generate more power with fewer bundles, enabling longer fuel cycles and improved cycle economics. AXIOM cladding is also designed to retain relatively high ductility after high burnup irradiation.

During various irradiation programs and out-of-reactor testing, the AXIOM alloy used to clad the rods demonstrated improved in-reactor corrosion performance and hydrogen pick-up compared to alternate cladding compositions, especially in high-duty operating environments. AXIOM cladding has also shown reductions in irradiation growth and creep behavior, validating excellent in-reactor dimensional stability and giving our customers more peace-of-mind when looking for robust and resilient leak-free performance.

#### Key Benefits

- Provides improved fuel cycle economics
- Enables higher burnups
- Exhibits significantly less corrosion and hydrogen pickup than other fuel cladding products

[Explore more innovative fuel solutions](https://www.westinghousenuclear.com/operating-plants/nuclear-fuel/advanced-solutions)

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